The Reluctant Contract

When I stopped in my tracks and turned around, Kaiern finally broke into a broad grin. He seemed genuinely delighted to have recaptured my attention.

“I’ll go and tell him to change it. Should I just say it’s someone else and not that kid—what was it, Chase?”

“Why would you do that?”

“Huh? Isn’t… isn’t that what you wanted?”

Contrary to his expectation that I’d be thrilled, my reaction was cold. Kaiern began to fidget restlessly, asking what it was I actually desired.

Shut up. I was still nursing the emotional wounds he’d inflicted. The comments from the original novel’s serialization flashed through my mind.

User1: Our Chase ㅠㅠㅠㅠ I can’t watch this without crying hgyuㅠㅠㅠㅠ Author, please make our Chase happy. ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ But who’s the lead? It’s gotta be the gentle giant Kaiern, right?

└ User2: But doesn’t Chase still love Seamus? No matter how kind Kaiern is, it feels like only Seamus is in Chase’s heart.

└└ User3: Are you crazy? Trash like Seamus should be incinerated. You don’t recycle that stuff.

└└└ User4: Why would Chase be the ‘bottom’! He’s a ‘top’! Chase x Ethan forever!! Give me that enemies-to-lovers angst!! They’re the real endgame!!

└└└└ User5: Absolute delusions… get lost!

To be honest, I usually skimmed the romance arcs, but I knew the general vibe. I was strictly a solo-stan for Chase and didn’t care for the pairings, but I’d seen the comment wars. The most popular ship was Kaiern, the dragon who would do anything for Chase…

‘”Gentle” my foot. These people need to know he’s a goddamn sociopath.’

I wished I could travel back to my past life just to warn everyone. This guy is a villain! Do NOT ship Kaiern x Chase!

As I stood there with my arms crossed, glaring, he continued to try and win my favor.

“I don’t know what you want, but I’m really capable! Like earlier—if you have a problem, I can settle it!”

“You can’t get the poison out, though.”

“Well… that’s true, but…”

“Then how exactly are you ‘capable’?”

At my aggressive retort, Kaiern withered. With his current appearance—a beautiful young boy—his “pouting” face was so adorable it almost made me want to hug and comfort him.

‘Don’t fall for it.’

Inside that shell was a sociopathic dragon. No matter how pathetic he acted, that fact remained unchanged. Yet, strangely, he didn’t get angry at my coldness. He seemed desperate to please me. It was clear he wanted something.

“What do you actually want from me?”

Even at my sharp question, Kaiern beamed. It was almost impressive how he didn’t take offense at being treated so roughly.

“I’ve taken a liking to you.”

I couldn’t hide the grimace of disgust on my face. Whether he liked or hated me, I wouldn’t have blinked, and I certainly didn’t like him back. Most beings would have been embarrassed by such blatant rejection, but he continued with a smile.

“And so, I’ve become curious. I am a dragon born of knowledge; I cannot endure a mystery.”

“So what? You want me to recite my resume for you?”

“No, that won’t suffice. I want to see for myself.”

In other words, he wanted to stay by my side and observe. I had no intention of dragging a sociopathic dragon around, but as I opened my mouth to refuse, Kaiern stepped in front of me again.

“I cannot drive out the poison, but I am truly talented.”

He reached out and grabbed my sleeve. Startled by the sudden surge of mana, I shouted “Wait!”, but his power merely brushed over me like a light breeze.

“Eh…?”

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable agony, but after his mana passed, I felt perfectly fine. When I cautiously opened my eyes, my clothes—which had been filthy with dust and blood—were pristine.

“It’s alright. As long as magic isn’t used directly on your body, the poison won’t flare up.”

Since my clothes weren’t part of my physical body, he could clean them without triggering a reaction. I had been wary of all mana since the Warp Gate incident, so discovering this new fact made me look surprised. Seeing my reaction, Kaiern looked proud.

“I heard the Imperial family, who carry the blood of gods, can use Divine Authority. It seems the divinity in your body is suppressing both my poison and that man’s power.”

“…”

“When you used your power to hit me, the divinity keeping the poison at bay was exhausted, which is why it spread. Without me, you would have died.”

“So what?”

I finally snapped. Why was he acting so smug about it? Did he want a gold star?

‘Come to think of it, everything is this guy’s fault anyway.’

If Kaiern hadn’t been so careless with his choice of friends and handed over his poison, and if he hadn’t stood by and watched that friend’s disastrous romance, none of this would have happened. My anger flared again. Neither I nor Chase would be suffering if not for him.

I took my middle finger, curled it against my thumb, and aimed at his smug forehead.

“What is th—OW!”

Thwack! With a crisp sound, my finger—flicked with a hint of Divine Authority—struck his brow. Caught completely off guard, Kaiern’s eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Watching his golden slit pupils contract like a startled cat’s gave me a thrill of pure satisfaction.

Kaiern clutched his forehead, looking dazed for a moment, before breaking into another wide grin.

“You really… you are so strange!”

“Then get lost and find someone normal to hang out with.”

“No! I want to stay with you. Precisely because you’re so strange!”

He practically stuck himself to my side. He actually blushed, mumbling that I was the first person to ever hit him on the forehead like that.

Of course I am. Who in their right mind flicks a dragon? It shouldn’t even hurt a dragon, yet he was acting like it was a profound experience. I glared at him, but he just kept chattering away while covering his forehead with both hands.

“Anyway, no human truly understands your condition. I know more than any human, and as you saw, I’m excellent at magic. I can make your life very convenient.”

I snorted at that. As the Crown Prince, I had servants for everything. I planned to live as royalty until the day I died; I didn’t need a dragon to fetch me water.

“Forget it. Even if things are a bit slower, I’ll just have my servants do it. I don’t need your help.”

“But wouldn’t it be better to have me around if what happened earlier happens again?”

“It won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”

I rejected him coldly. This world was more primitive than the modern one, but there were no major wars. While there were minor border skirmishes, there was no total conquest or foreign invasion on the horizon. My Authority was for combat, but since the original novel didn’t feature any war big enough to require the Imperial family’s direct participation, there was no reason for me to drain my divinity again.

‘The next time I have a flare-up will likely be the day I die.’

Therefore, I could afford to refuse. Kaiern looked like he couldn’t wrap his head around my logic.

“Why? Weren’t you writhing on the ground in pain just moments ago? How can you be so indifferent?”

His face was full of wonder. To him, I was clearly the first “unknown” that the Knower of Truths had ever encountered.

‘Once that curiosity burns out, this interest will vanish too.’

Then, I changed my mind. Kaiern wouldn’t stay forever; he’d leave once his curiosity was satisfied. It would be foolish not to exploit him while I could.

“Do you really want to stay by my side?”

Seeing my shift in attitude, Kaiern brightened and nodded vigorously. I gave him a thin, predatory smile.

“Fine. Since you’re largely responsible for my body being in this state, you should take responsibility.”

“I will take responsibility!”

Hearing the most irresponsible being in existence promise to take responsibility almost made me laugh. Knowing this was a fleeting arrangement anyway, I laid down the law.

“Fine. From now on, you do exactly as I say. Understood?”

“And then I can stay with you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I agree. I will do whatever you tell me.”

I smiled as he nodded solemnly. I’m going to use you until there’s nothing left but the bones… Kaiern, oblivious to my thoughts, just stood there grinning happily.

“Good. Then let’s go see the White Dragon. Lead the way.”

“Understood.”

And so, permitting Kaiern to accompany me, I followed him toward the White Dragon.